Brazil's Aerospace Institute compiles satellite images of the Amazon rainforest's problems, such as the rates of forest clearing, reforestation, development, and the effectiveness of Brazil's forest programs.
A $139bn Eximbank funded system of radar; airplanes; ground and satellite sensors; and communications networks monitors Brazil's Amazon for environmental research, border control, and drug interdiction.
Brazilian programs to reduce deforestation and CO2 emission, and promote sustainable development include "extractive reserves" which globally market renewable "rain-forest chic" products (replenishable trees, produce, nuts, latex, pharmaceutical plants); discontinuing subsidies to clear-cutting for unsustainable ranches which dislocated forest people; tree improvement; pesticide controls; minimizing roads and mineral mining impacts; increasing fish pond farming; and improving law enforcement.
The 1992 Earth Summit in Brazil fostered still under-funded first-world commitments to all nine Amazon countries for ecological data banks, forest protection and education programs to reduce global warming and preserve biodiversity, including "debt-for-nature" swaps pending debt relief.
The mountains of Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia face erosion and silting; a crush of oil-rush settlers; illegal cocoa fields with their herbicide and chemical run-offs; the threatened spread of cocoa plantations throughout the entire Amazon basin; and deforestation from out-dated settlement incentives in a hodgepodge of policies and contradictory laws.
New programs promote tourism, and sustainable extraction of fibers, fruits and medicinal plants.
Surinam is committed to unified management of its Amazon areas.
Ecuador imposed protective requirements on oil exploitation in 200,000 hectares of rainforest, partially in Yasuni national park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, in close collaboration with local Indians.
